Magic and Mystery
by 4luv4evr428
Summary: The Ricardos go to a costume party at a lavish location.


I.

"Oh, Ricky, it's going to be fun!" Lucy walked past Ricky briskly, fastening an earring. She turned her back to him as he sat on the bed. "Here, tie the back of my dress…" She smirked at him from over her shoulder.

Ricky stood up absently and tied the silk ribbon that secured the bodice of her dress as he tried to remember what, exactly, she had said she was dressed as. "I never been to one of these thin's before. What do I do?"

Lucy turned around and smiled. "You don't DO anything, Ricky, it's just a party."

Ricky pouted slightly. "If it's jus' a party, then why am I in this…this getup?" He looked down at himself, wearing a billowy white shirt and black pants with rips at the bottoms. "What am I again?"

Lucy laughed. "It's not a getup, it's a costume. And you're a pirate."

"Well, why couldn't I be somethin' I know about? And what are you?"

Lucy walked over to her vanity and tied a silk scarf through her soft red curls; it matched the flowing skirts of her dress. "I'm a gypsy."

"Well, I look silly." Ricky walked out to the living room and Lucy giggled as she took one last look at herself in the mirror and followed him.

"Honey, it's only for one night. And besides, you don't look silly." She put her arms around his neck and he softened. She did look kind of cute, he thought to himself. "And," Lucy continued, "when the owner of The Tropicana has a costume party at his residence, with all his friends who just happen to be connected in show business, isn't it worth looking a little silly to meet them?"

Ricky smiled a bit and nodded. "Let's go, we're gonna miss the train."

II.

Ricky took Lucy's hand as he helped her out of the taxi in front of the Abbotts' sprawling country estate, which sat in the wealthy suburb of Fairfield. Both of their eyes widened as they were ushered inside by stiff-looking men in tuxedo tails and white gloves. They had entered a vast room with ceilings so high they could barely be seen, except for the sparkling crystal chandeliers which hung at evenly spaced intervals.

A large symphony orchestra sat at one end of the grand room, sending the rich sounds of woodwinds and strings all around them. There were hundreds of people gathered around, chatting and eating the various hors d'oeuvres which were being passed around on large silver platters by more of the men in tails.

Lucy tried not to let her face betray the fact that she'd never been inside such a place. And then she looked to her side at Ricky, in the United States for barely two years. His already large brown eyes were wide, taking in every detail of the magnificent room. Lucy touched his arm gently. "Ricky?"

Ricky looked at his wife at the mention of his name. "I never seen the inside of a place like this…"

Lucy smiled. "Me neither, honey."

"In Cuba, only the politicians and the military live in places like this. An' you see them from far away, at the tops of big hills inside big gates."

A voice interrupted his awe-filled description. "Hors d'oeuvres, sir?" One of tuxedoed men held a platter of bite size puffs of some sort in front of them.

"What?" Ricky had never heard the French word before.

The man's face didn't change. "This is crab meat wrapped in phyllo, sir."

Lucy took one gingerly and Ricky followed her lead. "Thank you."

The man nodded and moved on to offer his tray to some other guests.

Ricky turned to Lucy, watching her chew the puff carefully. "What did he say this is made of? Crab and what?"

Lucy swallowed and giggled. "Phyllo. It's pastry dough." Ricky popped the bite of food into his mouth and his face brightened. "It's good!"

Smiling, Lucy looked around at the other guests, in a variety of different costumes, some of them very elaborate.

She felt her hand slip into Ricky's as he walked with her. "I dun't even see the Abbotts…"

Lucy nodded. "Sometimes, at big parties like this, you don't see the hosts. You just mingle."

Just as she finished the sentence, a man in a medieval cape and a phony sword hanging off his belt addressed Ricky. "You're Ricky Ricardo, aren't you? My wife and our friends and I have seen your show quite a few times!"

Lucy smiled as Ricky chatted with him graciously and a small circle of the man's friends gathered around him. He had introduced her to them, but they were much too interested in talking to him…especially the men's wives.

As they started asking him about Cuba, she wandered away toward the orchestra, looking at all the different costumes. A voice behind her made her turn around absently. "Champagne?" She thought, at first, it was probably one of the waiters with a tray. But it was another guest, dressed in a white shirt and black pants and a red sash around his waist. A flowing black cape with a red satin lining hung around his shoulders and he wore a mask on his face from the nose up, only his blue eyes visible through two small holes.

He was drinking champagne out of one tall crystal flute, and held a second out toward her.

Lucy stammered, not wanting to accept a drink from a strange man, but not wanting to be rude to one of the Abbotts' guests. "Uh, thank you very much, but no."

The man was gracious and without missing a beat he placed the flute quickly on the tray of a passing waiter. "My name is Matthew. Matthew Connors."

Lucy smiled politely. "Lucy Ricardo."

"I'm Irma's nephew."

"Irma?"

"Irma Abbott, this is her and my uncle's party."

Lucy's eyes widened, now watching her words all the more carefully. "Oh, I see! It's a pleasure to meet you, this is a very beautiful house."

Matthew looked around, seeming bored. "I was actually admiring you more than the room."

Lucy looked over Matthew's shoulder to see Ricky still talking pleasantly with the people around him. "Oh…that's…very flattering, Mr. Connors, but I should be getting back to my husband."

Matthew's eyes lost a bit of their charming sparkle as he followed her gaze behind him and caught sight of Ricky. "Ricardo…as in RICKY Rickardo's wife?"

"Yes. It was very nice to meet you."

He watched Lucy nod at him politely before making her way back to where Ricky was standing. He turned to her and smiled as she put her hand in his. "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, I was just looking around…" She smiled as the other guests parted from them politely to mingle around.

They continued to walk around and talk to other guests, whispering to each other playfully from time to time. Eventually, they followed the path of some other guests out to a large patio which overlooked a garden with a grand fountain. Some other couples were scattered around, talking, as they approached.

Ricky looked out to the distance.

"What's wrong, dear?" Lucy put an arm around his waist, and his arm went reflexively around hers.

"Nothin'. I was just thinkin' that I haven't given you anythin' compared to all this."

Lucy laughed. "Oh, Ricky! This isn't the way most Americans live! In my whole life, I've never met another person who lived in a place like this."

Ricky turned to her. "Really?"

"Of course!" She leaned into him more closely. "Everybody I know lives in a regular old house or an apartment somewhere. And most of these people do, too, I'll bet."

Ricky laughed softly to himself, feeling better. "Aw, Lucy…let's go home and get out of these getups."

Lucy grinned and as they both turned around, she saw Matthew approaching them. He nodded to her politely and then reached out his hand for Ricky. "Mr. Ricardo, I presume?"

Ricky shook Matthew's hand. "Yes."

"I'm Matthew Connors, I'm the Abbotts' nephew. It's a great pleasure to meet you. I met your wife a little while ago and she was quite charming."

Ricky glanced over at Lucy for a few seconds before turning back to Matthew. "Thank you."

"My uncle has said nothing but great things about your show, I plan on coming to see it soon."

Ricky nodded. "I hope you will."

Matthew leaned in toward Ricky, speaking quietly. "You're a very lucky man, that's quite a beautiful redhead."

Ricky smiled, looking at Matthew carefully. "I know, thank you." Matthew smiled at them, winked at Lucy, then disappeared into the crowd of people.

Ricky looked at his wife silently, the hint of a smile creeping across his lips.

"Now, Ricky, he saw me when I was walking around and offered me a drink and paid me a compliment, and that was it. I thanked him and told him you were my husband."

He smiled broadly. "I din't say anythin'!"

"Yeah, but you're thinking…"

"I am not, I saw the whole thin' anyway."

Lucy swatted him playfully. "You did not! You were busy with your fans, you big ham!"

"I did, too." Ricky leaned over and whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "I always have at least one eye on you…"

Lucy smiled and linked her arm into his. "Let's go home."

III.

As Lucy anticipated, Ricky went straight for the bathroom to get out of his costume. She laughed to herself at how the thought of it had seemed so ridiculous to him. It was, she guessed, but it was something different.

She walked over to the vanity, removing the earrings from her ears slowly. For a fleeting moment, she smiled at herself in the mirror. It was nice to know that she could still attract a man, even if she didn't want to. Her gaze fell to the nearby window and she looked out at the street, bustling with late night activity.

Just as she was going to turn around and call Ricky to help her untie her bodice, she felt the silky scarf yank away from her curly hair. Before she could react, her vision was blocked by darkness as the scarf was tied over her eyes and around the back of her head.

Lucy turned around, but lost her bearings quickly in her inability to see. She folded her arms and smirked. "Ricky…."

She felt his arms wrap around her and he kissed her, his tongue plunging into her mouth without a moment's hesitation. She reached up to put her arms around his neck, but he quickly grabbed her wrists and held them behind her back.

As Ricky's lips gently parted from Lucy's, she whispered breathlessly, feeling the brush of his tongue along her neck, her hands still held firmly behind her back. "What are you doing?"

His lips left her skin and her wrists were freed from his grasp, but she wasn't left wondering for long as her feet were suddenly swept up from the floor. She felt herself being carried, then laid on the bed. "Ricky…" Lucy giggled, still unable to see. She again reached up to touch the face that she felt very near hers, but her wrists were quickly grasped again and raised gently above her head.

"Dun't move…" The order was loving, but firm.

Lucy silently obeyed as she felt his hands moving down her body, tugging at the ribbon that tied her bodice in place. As it loosened, she felt the dress come away from her skin, a feeling that made her heart race all by itself.

First, she felt the cool air of the room as the dress was pulled away from her, leaving her in a state of nakedness, except for the lace panties and sheer silk thigh-high stockings she wore. The chill was replaced by the heat of Ricky's skin as he moved on top of her, himself fully nude, she knew. His lips fell onto her neck again like embers from a fire, and his hands smoothed over her breasts.

Lucy's breathing quickened and, still in complete darkness, she felt his very hard manhood pressed against the inside of her thigh. He had moved downward, taking a nipple into his mouth as his hands nimbly slid the panties off her hips. He raised her knees around him and, in her inability to see, she was surprised by the feeling of two fingers entering her slowly. She gasped as his lips moved to her other breast.

After a few slow thrusts of his fingers, he left her and she felt his hands sliding back up her body, over her breasts, up along her arms and again grasping her wrists above her head.

Feeling Ricky's face right above hers, and feeling his erection paused near her, she begged him to go further. She felt one hand leave her wrists and it covered her mouth gently.

Now unable to see, move or speak, she breathed in sharply as he finally entered her. His thrusts were strong, hard and full, and her muffled cries from beneath his hand only excited him further and increased his urgency.

As he continued, he lowered his lips to her ear. "No siempre me ve o me escucha, pero yo siempre estoy aqui. Siempre que te protégé, amarte y quererte…"

With that, he removed his hands from her wrists and her mouth. She immediately wrapped her arms around him and they cried out together as he released into her and she felt his warmth flood through her. He again kissed her, his tongue moving over the inside of her mouth gracefully.

As Lucy's breath slowed, she felt the scarf over her eyes loosen before falling gently away from her face. She squinted as her eyes again became used to the light, and smiled as Ricky smiled down at her.

"I love you," Ricky breathed quietly as he rested to her side and cradled her in his arms.

She rested into his chest. "I love you, too."


End file.
